I wasn’t really following the Joost train but now my interest is piqued. Ars Technica got their hands on the OS X client and was duly impressed. Except for a few odd problems, it looks like it’s running quite well and is an exact replica of the Windows client.

As much as I like Media Center and hopefully will like Apple TV, this looks like the future. Just as Skype has replaced our dreams of running a standalone video phone in the kitchen, Joost, and services like it, may replace our dream of dedicated IPTV hardware. Give me some TV in a little window in the corner of my screen and I’m a happy man.

First look: Joost 0.8 beta for the Mac [ArsTechnica]